Semiconductor device comprising a solar cell, method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and apparatus comprising a semiconductor device

Abstract

The invention relates to a semiconductor device includes a substrate ( 1000; 2000 ), a solar cell ( 1910; 2910 ) formed on the substrate ( 1000; 2000 ) and a battery ( 1900; 2900 ) formed on the substrate, the battery comprising a plurality of trench batteries in a plurality of corresponding trenches ( 1400; 2400 ) in the substrate ( 1000; 2000 ). The solar cell can include a silicon solar cell ( 1910 ) comprising a plurality of p-n junctions for, during use, receiving incident light and converting at least part of the received incident light into an electrical current. Alternatively, the solar cell can include an electrochemical cell ( 2910 ) for, during use, receiving incident light and converting at least part of the received incident light into an electrical current. The invention further relates to a manufacturing method for a semiconductor device. The invention further relates to an apparatus comprising a semiconductor device.

1 . Semiconductor device comprising:
 a substrate,   a solar cell formed on the substrate,   a battery formed on the substrate, the battery comprising a plurality of trench batteries in a plurality of corresponding trenches in the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . Semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an integrated circuit monitoring element capable of, during use,
 monitoring at least one condition of a group consisting of a condition of the solar cell, a condition of the battery and a condition of a relation between the solar cell and the battery, and 
 providing monitoring information from monitoring the at least one condition. 
   
     
     
         3 . Semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an integrated circuit power regulator element capable of, during use,
 controlling an electrical power provided from at least one of the solar cell and the battery. 
   
     
     
         4 . Semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor, the sensor being electrically connected to the solar cell and to the battery. 
     
     
         5 . Semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate is a single-crystalline silicon substrate. 
     
     
         6 . Semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the battery has a storage capacity in a range of 0.1-10 mC/mm 2 . 
     
     
         7 . Multi-chip package comprising a semiconductor device according to  claim 1  and a further semiconductor device electrically connected to the semiconductor device and being, during use, energized from the semiconductor device. 
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a solar cell and a battery, the method comprising:
 providing a substrate;   forming the solar cell on the substrate; and   forming the battery as a plurality of trench batteries to a plurality of corresponding trenches in the substrate.   
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 forming an integrated circuit on the substrate, wherein at least one of forming the integrated circuit on the substrate and forming the solar cell on the substrate comprises one or more high-temperature treatments; and   wherein at least part of forming the battery is performed after all high-temperature treatments; further comprising:
 forming the plurality of trenches in the substrate, wherein forming the solar cell is at least partly performed before forming the battery, 
   
       wherein:
 the solar cell is formed onto a first side of the substrate in a first IC-process, the solar cell comprising a silicon solar cell comprising a plurality of p-n junctions for, during use, receiving incident light and converting at least part of the received incident light into an electrical current; 
 the battery is formed onto the other side of the substrate in a second IC-process. 
 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 all the solar cell is formed onto a first side of the substrate in a first IC-process, the solar cell comprising an electrochemical cell for, during use, receiving incident light and converting at least part of the received incident light into an electrical current;   the battery is formed onto the other side of the substrate in a second IC-process.   
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 8 , wherein forming the solar cell is at least partly performed after forming the battery. 
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the battery is formed onto a first side of the substrate in a first IC-process;   the solar cell is formed in a second IC process, the solar cell comprising an electrochemical cell for, during use, receiving incident light and converting at least part of the received incident light into an electrical current.   
     
     
         13 . Apparatus comprising a semiconductor device according  claim 1 .